Losing Ground
by phasha18
Summary: Losing Ground is the prequel to Harder to Breathe and is set just after Season 5B where Kira sends Theo underground. Madison McCall isn't impressed as she just gotten Theo to remember who he was. This story is her reaction and she deals with Scott and his friends. -also posted on Ao3-


**Disclaimer:**_ I don't own any of the characters from Teen Wolf they belong to their creator. I own Madison McCall and anything/anyone else you don't recognise._

**Losing Ground**

_2012_

"Mom! They sent Theo to hell! Then the skinwalkers took Kira," Madi was furious at Kira, she gotten through to Theo right before the younger girl had used her sword to send him to hell. "Mom...Theo he remembered," Madi crumbled to the floor as she entered her mother's house with Scott trailing close behind her yelling.

"Madi! We didn't know!" Scott all but yelled as he bounded up the stairs behind her. "He's my brother too Mads,"

"Would one of the two of you tell me what is going on?" Melissa questioned, she'd just come off the night shift but she knew that one child had spent the past months trying to get through to their brother while the other had been trying to track the Beast.

"They didn't trust me that I could get through to Theo," Madi said motioning towards Scott as she looked up and saw the others traipsing up the path. "Theo...he was starting to remember. He remembered when you told him that he didn't have to leave us,"

"I'm sorry Mads," Scott muttered watching as his mother sat down on the floor beside his sister and pulled her into her arms.

"Scott you sit yourself down here with your sister right now," Melissa said, reaching up for Scott's arm and pulling him down with them before she looked to the rest of them. "As for the rest of you, do you have any idea at all how close Madi and Theo were?" Melissa's voice suddenly took on a very authoritative tone as she looked at the teenagers straggling up the path.

Stiles nodded sheepishly before he said anything. "We didn't think..." Stiles started to say but trailed off as Melissa glared at him.

"That's just it. You didn't think! He was listening to me, I could see it in eyes and I could feel it. He knew it was wrong!" Madi exclaimed, out of everyone Corey looked like he wanted to cry, he'd seen what Madi had been doing. "I'm going for a walk...probably into the preserve,"

Madi looked at everyone as she wiped the tears away and pulled away from Scott who looked like he wanted to cry from the glare that he was receiving from both his mother and sister. Scott and Stiles exchanged a look, had they really just destroyed Scott's sisters trust in them? Stiles was more concerned with how much she knew about the supernatural elements in their lives.

"Mom, I'll be fine. I'll call you when I work out what I'm doing," Madi smiled at her mother before she stood up and headed for the door again.

"Madison..." Lydia offered her an apologetic smile before Madi slipped out the door and was walking down the path.

"Scott, you and your friends had better fix this," Melissa sighed, she knew that whatever Theo had done to his baby brother wasn't his fault.

"Mom...how?" Scott looked at his mother and then at his friends noticing that Corey had disappeared wondering if the teenager had gone invisible.

"You need to work that out between the lot of you," Melissa said kissing the side of Scott's head before she stood up and headed back into the kitchen.

"What in the hell have we done?" Lydia questioned, they hadn't expected Melissa and Madi to react the way that they had.

"How could we forget that he was your brother?" Stiles mumbled looking to Scott as he spoke, Scott shook his head he couldn't believe what they had done.

Madi walked towards the preserve, she knew that Corey was following her so she stopped and waited until he'd caught up to her. Corey looked at Madi, he couldn't imagine what she was going through but he felt sad that she was. Madi offered a half smile as she pulled out her phone.

"What did you say to him?" Corey asked quietly watching as Madi typed out a message and hit send.

"I told him to think about the first thing I said to him the day I found him after the Dread Doctors took him the first time," Madi answered pocketing her phone as they continued to walk. "He was only nine years old,"

"What did you say to him?" Corey was curious over what she could possibly have said that would bring him back at the last second.

"I told him that and I quote 'I'll always find you,'. It's what a big sister does," Madi shrugged near jumping as her phone rang in her pocket. "Give me a minute. I have to take this," Corey nodded and watched as Madi walked ahead of him slightly.

'Mads? What happened? Are you okay?' Cora spoke quickly she was sitting in her room in South America where Derek had left her the year before.

"Core...I need to get away...Theo he remembered and they sent him to hell," Madi spoke just as quickly to Cora she had to get everything out. "You should have seen his face,"

'Mads, come stay with me and call Der,' Cora looked around the room, she had plenty of room for the older wolf to stay with her.

"I think I will...after I check on Allison and Isaac," Madi answered glancing back at Corey who smiled at her while shooting off messages of his own. "They still don't know what I did for her and I want to keep it that way as long as I can,"

'I get it Mads. But call Der, talk to him,' Cora leaned back against the headboard and looked at the last photo they'd taken together.

"Thanks Core, I'll message you tomorrow," Madi said before both of them hung up their phones and Madi walked back over to Corey as he pocketed his phone.

Corey looked up at Madi as he pocketed his phone and smiled, he didn't want her to know that he'd been messaging Mason who had in turn been telling the others what Madi was doing. Madi smiled back but raised her eyebrow wondering who he had been messaging, she knew he'd heard her say hello to Cora. Madi had basically grown up playing with the Hales.

"Corey, go back to the others. Tell my mom I'll be back later," Madi said, she really wanted the alone time away from everyone as much as she liked the younger teen. "I know you're worried about me, but I'll be okay,"

"If you're sure..." Corey questioned, Madi nodded before she gave Corey a quick hug and sent him back to the others.

_'On my way back.' _Corey to Mason sent at 8:25PM

_'What did she say?'_ Mason to Corey sent at 8:26PM

_'Tell you when I get back.'_ Corey to Mason sent at 8:27PM

_'Tell me now. Scott wants to know if Madi is angry?'_ Mason to Corey sent at 8:29PM

_'When I get back.' _Corey to Mason sent at 8:30PM

Corey pocketed his phone as he continued to walk back to the McCall's house, he wondered how many of the McCall pack would actually be at the house. To his surprise the whole pack was still there waiting. Stiles was leaning against his Jeep (Roscoe), with Malia while Scott and Lydia were sitting on the porch steps, Mason was talking with Liam. Inside Melissa was talking quietly with Chris.

"Where's Madi?" Scott looked up from where he was sitting as he heard Corey come to a stop in front of them.

"Walking still. She was making phone calls when I left her," Corey answered, he didn't know how much information he was meant to give the alpha.

"Do you know where she was going?" Scott asked again, he half wanted to follow her but knew she'd have something to say about it.

"Scotty, you know how she gets when you piss her off...and she was pretty mad at all of us," Stiles spoke up from where he was leaning against Roscoe.

"She's my sister, I need to make things right," Scott mumbled, Corey offered a half smile as Mason wrapped his arms around him.

"We all do," Lydia added, Malia had a look on her face that said no they didn't.

"Do you know who she was talking to?" Mason questioned, Corey shook his head he didn't have the same hearing as the other supernatural creatures.

Scott put his head in his hands, as Stiles pushed off from Roscoe and walked over to them motioning for Lydia to scoot over so that he could sit with Scott. The second that Stiles sat on the step he threw his arm around Scott and gave him a one armed hug. Scott wanted to push Stiles away but instead found himself leaning against his best-friend.

_'Der, need to talk to you.' _Madi sent at 9:03PM

_'Now.' _Madi sent at 9:04PM

_'Mads, do you have any idea of the time?'_ Derek sent at 9:09PM (1:09AM)

_'I don't care...I need to talk,' _Madi sent at 9:10PM

_'Fine, but you owe me.'_ Derek sent at 9:11PM

Derek rolled over in the bed of the hotel room he was in, in Phoenix, Arizona. Madi was going to definitely owe him. He'd only just crawled into bed after checking out one of the Hale vaults and all he wanted to do was sleep not talk. Madi was his best-friend, and sometimes more than that she had been since Kate. Derek lay in bed and hit the call button on Madi's name and waited until she answered.

"Mads, you better have a good reason..." Derek trailed off when he realised it sounded like she was crying on the other end. "Mads? What happened?"

'They...they sent him to hell...' Madi muttered, as she walked through the preserve and leant against one of the trees.

"Who sent who to hell?" Derek questioned, sitting up and running a hand over his face as his eyes adjusted to the dark.

'Scott's friend sent Theo to hell,' Madi spoke quickly as she closed her eyes and threw her head back against the tree. 'I told you he was being manipulated. He, he remembered,'

"Mads, calm down. I'm sure they didn't do it on purpose," Derek told her, but even he wasn't convinced from the messages that she had sent him the last few months.

'I don't know...Scott he didn't even try to stop Kira,' Madi said, what she really wanted to do was pack up and leave again, at least until they got Theo back.

"Mads take a deep breath. Go home, call Argent and tell him you need to check up on Allison," Derek said before thinking better of the situation. "Call Argent and then go home,"

'Der,' Madi sighed before she pushed off from the tree. 'How do you even know where I am?'

"You never call when you're around Scott," Derek stated, it was true and it was one of the reasons that Scott had never really been aware of their connection. "Mads, go for a run and call Argent," Derek reiterated as he yawned. "And let me go back to sleep,"

'Thanks Der...sorry to bother you but I needed o hear your voice,' Madi said as she started running again before bidding farewell to Derek and hanging up the phone.

Back at the McCall's house Scott was still sitting with Stiles on the front steps only everyone else had vacated and gone home. Lydia had taken Malia with her, while Mason had taken Corey and Liam with him. Nobody really knew what to do, did they walk on eggshells around Madi or what?

_'Argent...need to check on Allison,'_ Madi sent at 9:25PM

_'Meet me in the morning at your mothers,'_ Chris sent at 9:26PM

Madi pocketed her phone and headed back through the preserve going between running and walking as she went back to her mothers house to get her car. By the time she got back to the house Stiles had left, and Scott was still sitting on the front steps. Her mother was inside in bed reading, trying her hardest to ignore the two talking loudly on the front porch.

"Scott, you know Theo didn't kill you because he remembered...he remembered that you're his brother," Madi said, she had had to get him to understand what had happened. "When the Dread-Doctors took Mason, they took Theo again as well,"

"How...how did Theo remember that? I tried getting him to remember but it didn't work," Scott was sure that everything that he had tried hadn't worked that Theo was too far gone.

"He remembered the day you both had your first asthma attacks at school and that you had to share the inhaler because you'd left yours at home," Madi answered, she remembered when both of them were seven years old Scott had gotten so scared that he was going to die that Theo had given him his inhaler. "And tonight...I told him and I quote that 'I'll always find you,' it was the first thing I said to him the first time he ran away...when they took him the first time,"

"But that was nearly 8 years ago," Scott looked at Madi and then at the ground as she nodded. "He had nightmares for weeks, I remember we both used to climb in your bed,"

"Exactly kiddo, it was the only way to keep him and you calm," Madi answered, she remembered all to well Scott and Theo climbing into her bed and snuggling up under the overs. "Until you and your friends bring Theo back I'm going away for a while...I need to see Cora," it wasn't a complete lie – she was planning on visiting Cora.

"Does mom know?" Scott questioned, as the two of them heard their mothers familiar footsteps creeping away from the front door. "Mom?"

"I had a feeling," was all Melissa said as the stood up and walked into the house chasing after their mother.

"I'm sorry mom. I just...I can't be here while he's not," Madi said walking up to her mother and wrapping her arms around her from behind.

The following morning after Scott had gone to school and her mother had gone to work Madi waited on the front steps for Chris to arrive. As she waited she sat scrolling through photos on her phone that she'd found from when they were children. Madi stared at the last photo she'd found it was one of her and Theo holding Scott upside-down.

"Madison, what's this really about?" Chris questioned as he walked up the path, Madi hadn't heard his SUV pulling up to the curb and stopping.

"Mom told you about having three children right?" Madi replied, she knew that her mother had spoken about not only having Scott, but two older children – herself and Theo.

"She did. I also know that your brother Theo tried to kill Scott but that you stopped him and he ran," Chris said as he joined her on the steps, Madi had been listening to his heart beat the entire time. Chris looked at her and could see that something was still bothering her.

"I do want to check on Allison, I shouldn't need to after around eighteen months to two years...Isaac will know if any thing has changed," Madi said, she may have spoken quickly if the look that Chris was giving her was anything to go by. "Sorry, I should have mentioned that when I did it. I told Isaac,"

"Madison, if it makes you feel better I can book you a ticket to France to see them both," Chris said, he knew that he shouldn't do it and that her mother wouldn't be happy with him. "Your mother won't like it,"

"She already knows that I can't be here right now," Madi said as she looked away from Chris and at the ground before looking back to him. "She heard Scott and I last night when we were semi-arguing,"

Chris nodded in understanding and pulled out his phone calling the airline and booking Madi a flight to France, figuring that she could do the rest later. Madi told Chris everything that he needed to know as she'd memorised her passport details from all the travelling that she'd done. Chris raised his eyebrow at her, the only other person he knew who had done that was himself.

"I have a thing for numbers," Madi shrugged, before she thanked him for getting the ticket. "Argent...you know mom likes you,"

Six months later and Madi had taken Allison and Isaac with her to South America to visit Cora. While in South America, Allison and Cora decided to try a relationship as Allison knew that while Isaac liked her he also had an affinity for Scott. Madi was happy that Allison was healthy and that what she had done to save her life was having no residual effects as some magic could. They also got word from Scott that Theo was back and that he wanted Madi and that was all he wanted. That prompted the four of them to return to Beacon Hills, with Cora and Theo moving in with Derek and Madi, while Allison and Isaac moved back in with her father.


End file.
